The Voice of the Faculty and Coaches

March 2016 Cal U Chapter The Voice of the Faculty and Coaches BACKGROUND CHECKS It does not seem possible that we are half way through the semester. It seems like I had to start the semester off running because of all the issues coming up on campus and across the State System. This is my feeble attempt to keep you apprised of these issues. State APSCUF is still fighting the State System over which faculty have to get background checks. The last court ruling was that any faculty member who is teaching a 100 level class must have a background check. However, what has been confusing are the forms for those checks. So here is the explanation. If you already took care of your background check, then you don t need to be worried about the forms that came through from state. Of the forms that came through from State APSCUF was a form authorizing a credit check. However about a week later State APSCUF stated that the form for credit check had been removed. So bottom line, if HR had you fill out a form where you were to authorize a credit check then fill out the revocation form. APSCUF at both the local and state levels is asking hard hitting questions with regard to the background checks such as, Who is reviewing the information? What kind of training does this person have? What happens to this information? Where is it stored? What happens if during the background check something comes up unrelated to abuse of minors say during your impetuous undergraduate days your were arrested during a protest rally is this grounds for dismissal from your faculty position? I will keep you apprised as information comes in and will report locally what the answers are to these questions. FUNDING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Since the PA budget has still not been passed, we are still flat funded meaning that State System institutions will not receive any increase in funding. We have felt this crunch at Cal U through personnel cuts and now outsourcing of the grants program and printing. I will talk more about funding later on under retrenchment. I would like to take the time and thank the 34 faculty and students who attended the Underfunded We Fail rally in Harrisburg on February 8, 2016. In particular I would like to thank Bill Meloy who organized us here at Cal U and Sherri Boyle who recruited 17 students in the social work program to attend the rally. A special thank you to Danielle Bryan who spoke on behalf of Cal U students at the rally. Well done all! Barbara Hess Chapter President INSIDE THIS ISSUE Presidential Search...2 Article 12...2 Fast Facts...3 General Meeting...4 Student Scholarship...4 Burrell Brown Plaque...4 Bulletin Board...5

COURSE CAPS There are two issues with regard to course caps. The first is proposing course caps through course syllabi and the second issue is overriding course caps. I want to give a big KUDOS to Christina Toras who had the courage to stand up and say, 35 for an online grad class is too much in Professional Studies and proposed course cap changes of 25. These have passed through up to the UCC level but unfortunately the caps were refused at the administrative level. PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH PROVOST OFFICE HR or Payroll will be informing the department chairs of the following (we just received notice from the Office of the Chancellor) but I always like to pass the following dates to you: Overload due for Spring 2016 will be paid in the March 18, 2016 paycheck There are ongoing conversations and exchange of information regarding retrenchment. Unfortunately, that is about all that we have done is discuss. What is hard to discern is why retrenchment is necessary and to what extent. So let me tell you what we have done. There have been two private meetings Interim President Jones, Acting Provost Bruce Barnhart and Vice President Robert Thorn. Administration for the most part has given us the information we requested which included a list of financial information, student enrollment information, faculty counts and seniority lists along with salaries of campus personnel and various other pieces of information. Both local and state APSCUF has been analyzing the information. We have not seen any what you would call smoking gun smacking of huge misappropriations that were present in previous administration. However, what is puzzling that next to faculty retrenchment on the Financial Plan is no dollar amount. The reasons given during conversations for retrenchment are both finance and program curtailment related. We are still undergoing talks and our next scheduled meeting is the April 14 Meet and Discuss. Please keep in mind that we meet in Dixon Room 327 and these meetings are open to interested faculty. Ken Mash will also be discussing retrenchment during his remarks at the General Meeting. Our goal of course is to have the letter of retrenchment pulled from the table before this fall. Meet and Discuss is open to all faculty and coaches who would like to attend. Faculty should see that their overload paperwork is submitted to their Dean by February 26, 2016. Paperwork received after the 2/26/16 date will be paid to the faculty member on the next or subsequent pay day. Distance education payments are scheduled for the April 15, 2016 pay check. Those forms need to be submitted by March 28, 2016 to make the April 15 pay day. It is my understanding that this information was shared with state level APSCUF as well. Thank you, Bruce Bruce D. Barnhart, EdD Acting Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs So, This has been an interesting semester and seems as if it will continue to be an interesting one as it progresses. ARTICLE 12 EVALUATIONS APSCUF has voiced its concern repeatedly and will continue to do so over online student evaluations. The fact of the matter is, what started out as a pilot has now become the norm WITHOUT official agreement at Meet and Discuss. Now what is worse is that we seem now to have set a precedence that other presidents from other State System schools are looking at. While administration has said they would not base an evaluation solely on student evaluations, I contend that this has been violated. So here is what I recommend for ANY faculty member undergoing an Article 12 evaluation. Submit ample evidence for evaluation, include samples of course outlines/syllabi, class activities or projects, assessments, unsolicited emails or notes from students praising your efforts as an instructor. Submit evidence of scholarship such as a copied page from a conference schedule showing your name as a presenter, email or letter of thank you for serving on an editorial board or consultation, certificates of attendance to on campus and off campus faulty the professional development etc. and for service be sure to submit samplings of committee work though a set of minutes or letter from a committee chair or even other off campus work with a program showing your name. 2

INTERIM PRESIDENT GERALDINE M. JONES FAST FACTS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE APSCUF is conducting a vote of confidence to send a message to the State System of Higher Education. We believe that we have been in limbo so to speak for nearly 4 years and feel that current interim leadership is simply reacting to situations rather than being forward thinking and leading California University in a clear direction. Here are some facts and questions to guide you in your decision making. *$4.1 million spent last year on recruitment and marketing. This budget was cut drastically when the press got wind of the spending and student enrollment still dropped despite the spending. This spending had to be approved by higher administration before marketing and recruitment spent it. *Most non-represented managers received a raise the past two years, some as high as double digit percentages yet personnel were cut in 2014-15 assistant coaches in 2015-16 and there are plans to cut even more personnel in 2016-17. If finances are so tight why is it that managers are not flattening their salaries? *At the first Meet and Discuss Meeting to discuss retrenchment, managers were not all on the same page as to why retrenchment was being considered. They were divided among finances and program curtailment. While retrenchment is listed in the financial plan, it does not state how many nor how much money will be saved. How can this be part of the financial plan when there is no savings attached? *The Financial Plan does not list cost savings or any strong rationale for the Liberal Arts reorganization. Some faculty wanted to work together, there are provisions in the CBA that could have permitted this without a total reorganization. The only rationale we have been given in discussions concerning the realignment is efficiencies. Some of the department alliances make no programmatic sense. According to the Financial Plan there are plans to do more realignments in the other colleges. * Capital spending projects have been higher at Cal U than at any other State System institution. * The Financial Plan states that faculty that retire will not be replaced. This is not true in all cases but most cases. Interim President is not visible to faculty and students across the campus on a day to day basis. We do not see the Interim President walk across campus to a meeting or stop by the Bistro for lunch. We never see the Interim President outside the office during the week except at special events. * The Financial Plan states that faculty that retire will not be replaced. This is not true in all cases but most cases. *Coaches began asking at their Meet and Discuss meetings last year when assistant coaches were being cut, What is the goal of athletics at Cal U? They were not given an answer. They were told, That s a very good question. They are still asking these questions. *Upon the appointment of acting president the question and answer period at faculty convocations was stopped. There is still no question and answer period for faculty and staff like there is at the student convocation. 3

BURRELL BROWN SCHOLARDHIP PLAQUE During his tenure at Cal U, Dr. Burrell Brown, an alumnus, served as professor and chair of the Business and Economics Department. As past President of APSCUF he was active on the local and state level until his death. He received the state APSCUF lifetime award. A writer, speaker, and activist, Attorney Brown was past president and founding member of the Homer S. Brown Law Association as well as the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. He was a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Bar Association, lifetime member of the NAACP with 20 years as Clairton Branch President. Professor Brown was recognized in Who s Who in America and one of Pittsburgh s most influential Blacks. He was an icon in southwest Pa., philanthropist, humanitarian, with an impeccable work ethic. 4

APSCUF CAL U LEADERSHIP OUR MISSION APSCUF works on behalf of student and faculty interests to provide the highest quality education at the most reasonable cost by ensuring a diversity of programs are available, taught by first class professors who strive for the pursuit of educational excellence. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Barbara Hess, President Craig Smith, Vice President Elizabeth Mason, Secretary Richard LaRosa, Treasurer Lisa Kovalchick, Delegate Mario Majcen, Delegate Gwendolyn Perry-Burney, Delegate APSCURF Cal U Charles Crowley, Delegate Glenn Francis, Coaches Delegate Arcides Gonzalez, Alternate Laura Hummell, Alternate Jason Kight, Alternate Roy Yarbrough, Alternate Retiring from teaching doesn't mean you retire from APSCUF and the important activities of our association. APSCURF offers a wealth of activities and benefits, while keeping you connected to the people and the profession that are so important to you. Anthony Lazzaro, President For meeting dates contact Tony at 724-785-4778 or toenee0901@yahoo.com. Important Meeting Dates Executive Council: April 12, 2016, 11:00 AM, Keystone Hall, Conference Room 211 Meet and Discuss: April 14, 2016, 11:00 AM, Dixon Hall, Conference Room 327 Legislative Assembly: April 7-9, 2016 Toftrees State College, PA Contact us: APSCUF California University of Pennsylvania 250 University Drive 135 Keystone Hall, Box 22 California, PA 15419 Phone: 724-938-4293 Fax: 724-938-5764 E-mail: ksmelko@apscuf.org Publisher APSCUF Cal U Chapter President Barbara Hess Editor Rick Cumings Ph.D Office Manager - Ken Smelko www.apscuf.org/ univerities/california May 3, 2016 12:00 PM, Keystone Hall, Conference Room 212 Committees Mary O Connor, Chair, Legislative Bill Meloy, Chair, CAP Craig Smith, Chair, Membership; Chair, Student Scholarship Margo Wilson & Martha McClintock, Chairs, Social Justice/Gender Equity Mary Ann Salotti,Chair, Retirement Mary Kreis, Sick Leave Bank Laura Giachetti, Chair, Social; Chair, Temporary Faculty Rick Cumings, Chair, Newsletter and Public Relations, Student Faculty Liaison Jodi Dusi, Chair, Nominations and Election Joseph Schwerha, Chair, Distance Education Anthony (Tony) Lazzaro, President, APSCURF (retired faculty) Elizabeth Larsen, Chair, Grievance Nancy Carlino, Chair, Promotion William Biddington, Chair, Curriculum Clarissa Confer, Chair, Sabbatical Glenn Hider and Craig Smith, Chairs, Mobilization Ralph Belsterling, Chair, Tenure Ed Denny, Chair, Coach Grievance May 5, 2016, 11:00 AM, Dixon Hall, Conference Room 327